The Legend of Pulcherbridge
by knm42430
Summary: Thea Petal is an unconventional girl living in a whimsical town full of mythical creatures and quiet magic. When Thea and a prince join ranks to get out of a compromising situation, she discovers secrets about them both. Thea must get through her last year of school while a meddlesome reporter is doing her best to uncover hidden prophecies that will turn the town upside down.
1. Chapter 1

**FanFiction Pulcherbridge **

**The Chapter of a New Man (1) **

In a place not as far as you may think, and a time closer than you might assume, it was a drowsy, weekday afternoon. The sort of day where gloominess hangs like a sweater and swirly mistiness renders umbrellas useless. But as you know, even on gloomy days there are things that must be done. So a stranger regrettably braved the weather and visited a man by the name of Pepe at his work place. When this stranger introduced himself, he said that he would prefer to be known as, Il. Il was a grandiosely handsome man, with an immense sense of power that followed along beside him and a proper looking hat. He had traveled with purpose, specifically to offer Pepe an enchanting job opportunity. Pepe offered Il a seat and a cup of coffee to discuss the job, but Il declined the coffee and the seat by explaining that he had more business to attend that day. Instead, he briskly went over the essential details and gave the man information on how to contact him if he chose to accept.

The remaining hours of Pepe's day rushed quickly on, as he imagined the ups and downs the offer would present to him. His job was quite a crucial one and required his full attention, but on that day his head was somewhere far away, where the hatted Il had spoken. Luckily, he didn't have much work to do, or his story could have ended altogether differently.

By the time he would have normally turned the paper sign around on the door, and been headed home for the night, he had made his decision.

Truth be told, Pepe lived a dull life of sorts and the opportunity for titillation and adventure was too much to resist.

When Pepe arrived to the place he had been instructed to go, he explained to Il that after ample consideration he was free to agree to the proposal.

Il listened leisurely and was fully pleased that his offer was accepted, but not entirely surprised. He had made it convincing for a reason. He told Pepe to leave for a certain town at dawn, and he would send further instructions later.

And so Pepe packed his things, quickly said goodbye to his friends and family, and at dawn, he left for the town called Pulcherbridge.

He made his journey in a bantam rowboat, fit for a single person. His patchy suitcases and bags were stacked one on top of the other, and they wobbled threateningly, to fall into the black water. He didn't pay much attention to the luggage though. The old boxes and bags only contained items that could be replaced if lost. He didn't take many things of sentiment because he had little to be sentimental of.

The island of Pulcherbridge gave Pepe a peculiar first impression. As his boat floated to the shore, he noticed he was getting looks of question from various animals, which he was not at all accustomed to.

The strangeness of the island however, did not bombard him all at once. Many of the rarities in fact, chose to hide as they saw him passing. For example, the new comer did not see the mermaids who usually sat upon the rocks during the day to admire their reflection. Nor did he know that the miniature island he had recently passed was actually just a colossal, lazy animal that kept watch for people like him.

He did notice, however, that hundreds of plump, brightly colored fish were coming from all different directions to surround him. The curious feature of the fish was that he did not fear they were about to snack on his flesh, but instead he got an overwhelming feeling that they were looking for an explanation.

Pepe was not particularly exciting, or romantic, but he was a brave man. So he explained why he was there, which he felt odd doing. The fish stared at him, keenly and wide eyed, while he spoke out loud, saying that he had been sent for a job. They apparently believed that he had presented sufficient explanation and allowed him to continue onward to shore.

If he had not been brave though, he might have done something embarrassing in his trousers and then rowed the opposite direction as fast as he possibly could. Luckily for some, and unluckily for others, he was brave.

Once land was reached, he took a deep breath. Inhaling the island air, he unknowingly became part of the workings of the island that caused it to braid together perfectly. Hair rose on the back of his neck and a breeze blew across his face, but he needn't worry. That was just the presence of ancient magic and the slight chance of rain.

Pepe found himself on the edge of a great forest. As he wandered around, looking for a place he ought to go, he saw a cobblestone path, which he was sure would lead to the town square. He walked upon it, pulling his entire luggage along, and let the stress of being new in a big town float away, while he took time to observe his surroundings.

The trees in the forest were nothing like he had ever seen before. The trunks and leaves seemed to come in every possible shade of green, and in addition to all of the shades of trees, they were also unlimited in shapes and sizes.

There were some the size of a small mountain and others he could have stepped on and squashed. There were trees perfect for children tree climbing activities, and others that not a mother in the world would let her kids see, for fear of their wirey, threatening branches. The grass was tall, feathery, and littered with parachutes of flowers in every color.

He noticed most of the animals fled once they heard him approaching, but others were sleeping so deeply that they remained so while he passed. Pepe watched a pair of sage colored dragons that were cuddled together, dreaming.

And of course collections of birds sat on the trees, observing _him_. The birds made the man the most anxious. They seemed to have a quality so human like in their stare. And their yellow eyes beat down on him, watching his every movement. Perhaps, he thought to himself, the reason he believed them to be so human was because some can mock human words. Yes, that is certainly it,he reasoned_._ He heard one bird repeating over in its high pitchy yack, "Fresh scones!"

When the bird screeched the advertisement, which he suspected was planned, Pepe was suddenly reminded that his stomach was feeling desperately empty and it was rumbling viscously. Feeling slightly annoyed that he had already bought into the town's propaganda before he had even met a soul, Pepe walked at a brisker pace.

Of all the beautiful things he saw as he wandered, the sight that bewildered him the most was the bridge that led from the forest to town. The bridge was a tranquil wooden thing. It crossed over a stream where frogs jumped, played, and lounged unabashed on lily pads. On the handrails sat all kinds of fairies, of which he was unfamiliar. They looked lovely and Pepe smoothed what little hair he had and tried his best to look dashing.

When Pepe walked into the town, he noticed prior to even speaking to anyone that the people looked improbably friendly. Stores and wagons full of goods were settled next to each other, looking quaint and delicate with hay tops and extravagant landscaping.

He had met a large number of people who traveled nearly everywhere and always, but the rest of the world now seemed so chaotic and out of sync to him as he noted how well the townspeople weaved together, fabricating a bustle on the street. It differed magnificently from his typical travels of business.

The vendors greeted each passerby delightfully, whether they were making a purchase or not. And an alluring waft hovered in the air smelling of fresh food and all things sweet. Pepe was walking and admiring so intently that he was nearly knocked to his backside when a man appeared directly in front of him and said, "Hi! I'm Walter. I work in the floral booth." He pointed over to a wobbly cart that valiantly supported a mountainous bouquet of assorted blossoms. "You look new. Can I help you around?"

This Walter person was certainly grinning as widely as anyone could. If he hadn't had eyes that were genuine and concerned to accompany them, it might have been frightening.

Pepe replied, "Sure. Could you show me somewhere to eat?"

Walter started walking and waved his arm, motioning Pepe to follow along.

"Well, of course! Come with me. We have all sorts of food here. What types of food do you like the best? We have our hometown food, seafood, and food from a few surrounding towns. I think the hometown food is the best though," he hastily added.

Pepe was practically running to keep up with him, stumbling over his aged feet and bumbling suitcases. "I will try the hometown food, I guess".

"Just for a visit, or are you staying for good?" Walter inquired.

"I had planned on a long visit. Pulcherbridge is famous, you know?"

"Oh yes, of course I know. Born and raised here. Great place to grow up, Pulcherbridge is. Ah, here we are. This is the hometown eatery. It's called Jam's. If I had to recommend something to ya' it would be the roast duck. Try to avoid the frog legs. You know one of those frogs could have been a prince! I'm not about to take part in any cannibalism, that is for sure."

Pepe was bobbing his head anxiously, trying to keep up with everything Walter told him. He was astonished with his unusual opinions and was thankful he led him there, taking time out of his busy day; it was not behavior Pepe was acquainted with.

For the first time since he landed at Pulcherbridge he smiled, just barely, and held out his hand for Walter to shake.

"Thanks a lot, Walter".

"Oh no problem at all, er- I don't believe I caught your name."

Introducing one's self is an imperative thing, as it brings about endless possibilities. He held out his hand as he said, "It's Pepe."


	2. Chapter 2

**The Chapter of the Nightmare and the New Heir (2)**

"My dearest Queen, it's a boy".

A squat man said this as he removed his hand from a swollen belly.

The queen exhaled a breath that she seemed to be holding since she learned that she was with child. A son was essential. A son was good. It was not that Georgiana didn't want a daughter, but rather she hated to imagine her brother-in-law or an eventual heir of his becoming the King of Pulcherbridge once her husband's time was gone.

Pepe was the town's new apothecary. He was a short, old man who had only little tufts of light grey hair left. He was elderly and new to town, but so far he had gotten only perfect reviews on his practice. He had herbs that were to make one warm or cool, to stop one's bleeding, and it was even rumored that he had an herb to mend a broken heart.

Georgiana believed in his prediction. It must be correct, for the kingdom's future rested within her very own full stomach.

"Darling Georgie, what will you name the boy?" ventured Pepe's assistant. "It must be a name so grand, as he will someday acquire such a grand position. King! What a life to be born into, the lucky boy."

Georgiana blushed deeply. She hated to admit that she had been so sure she was having a girl that she hadn't thought of any boy names. Even though she knew that the kingdom needed a son, she couldn't shake the feeling that her growing baby was a little girl.

She imagined they shared secrets and that someone understood her every thought. It was a silly assumption of course, as her baby was much too young to have thoughts or secrets. But she had heard of strange motherhood stories before, and as this was her first experience being a mother, she knew not what to expect.

Pepe's assistant was still gazing at her stomach, waiting to be first to hear the royal name. Georgiana thought quickly and out of her mouth tumbled a name that she might have heard once in a book when she was young.

"Dean. Dean Livindl will be his name."

The assistant seemed more than satisfied with this answer. She looked on Georgiana adoringly and wiped a tear from her eye.

"I cannot believe that I will be alive when the greatest king to ever rule will be born. I will possibly even assist with the birth! What a story to tell!"

Queen Georgiana thanked her graciously and then left the house to inform her husband, King Samuel, of their good fortune.

#

King Samuel raved with pride, just as she supposed he would, when she told him about Dean.

To celebrate, Samuel demanded a grand supper be prepared immediately where they invited the rest of the royal family and all of their friends. The dining hall contained constant chatter and excitement so heavy it could be felt even if one stood outside of the castle.

The fruit was suddenly sweeter in Pulcherbridge and the birds were much chirpier. For even before the news had spread to the townspeople, they had sensed something had gone terribly right.

When Georgiana went to bed that evening, her cheeks were sore from smiling and her head was light with giddiness. She snuggled up to King Samuel and quickly nodded off. After all, holding the king to be wasn't an easy job.

#

It was dark; the wrathful and depraved kind of darkness where it is impossible to tell whether one's eyes are opened or closed.

Georgiana was thinking of how uncomfortable she seemed to be and how very cold it was. She reached to the foot of her bed to pull the covers up. But alas, there were no blankets.

In fact, she noticed that she wasn't even in her bed. Samuel was not sleeping soundly next to her, and when she felt underneath herself, she came up with knots of grass, rather than a plush mattress. Her biggest fear of all was confirmed however when she put her hands upon her once enlarged stomach and found it empty and lifeless.

Her heart sunk and she got up from the cold ground and began to search around for him.

"Dean!" She yelled repeatedly, at the highest volume she could manage.

Although it was dark outside, she was starting to get adjusted to the blackness. Just barely, she could see scurrying animals and she pursued them in hopes that they were her baby.

Tears were flooding her cheeks and sobs held back her words because she knew; she could feel it in the depths of her stomach that Dean was not listening. Dean was gone.

#

Blustering, grief-stricken sobs brought King Samuel out of a deep sleep.

He hurriedly rolled over in his bed to see his wife flailing about, crying their son's name. Instinctively he brought her to his arms and shushed, gently coaxing her awake.

At first, she remained frantic and refused to meet his eyes. "Shh," he tried to soothe her. "It's okay, you were only dreaming!" But in the event that something so dreadful happens, it takes a bit of time.

Once she had calmed herself, she proceeded to tell him of the nightmare and how she thought she had lost their son.

"It felt so real," she tried to explain. But as you know, explaining dreams is sometimes one of the most difficult things to do. Because dreams have a funny way of disappearing, and as soon as they know someone has broken the surface and plans to delve into them, they flee to the most seldom used corners of your mind and are usually never retrieved.

"I wouldn't ever let anything hurt you or Dean," he assured her.

She nodded, but was still shaken. He kissed her on her forehead, and eventually was able to wheedle her back to sleep by humming quietly and keeping his hand on her stomach, where she would be free of nightmares for many years.

#

The months left of her pregnancy that followed, moved with apace and were full of decisions. Preparations for Prince Dean's room, schooling, clothing, his nanny, and his pet guardian were all to be selected with the utmost care.

His birth party was being planned and the townspeople of Pulcherbridge had teamed with the fairies, and beasts to create an extravagant parade that the new prince would ride in to announce his arrival. The King and Queen were nearly perfect so everyone fully expected the baby to be just as much so.

It was only the night before Georgiana went into labor that everything was finally complete. The decision of what Dean's pet guardian would be though, proved to be quite troublesome.

Since Georgiana had become pregnant, she longed to be within the horse stables. Often times, when walking through the markets on a stroll, a horse or two would stop to be patted on the head, or given a treat of some sort.

It was obvious that Dean would have an inclination towards horses. This was often times called a horse affinity. The last person to have one, died hundreds of years before and he was known for being the greatest ruler there had ever been.

King Samuel, himself, had been named after the ancient man leading him to be considerably impressed with the recent discovery. He imagined Dean would be an honorable knight and leader.

They searched the town and every surrounding town for a horse that would be a true pet guardian for Dean. And although they saw many wonderful horses, none of them felt like the right match. The royal couple was starting to get disheartened, when on a trip to Patras, to visit the leading carpentry shop, Samuel and Georgiana came across a miniature zoo.

They walked into the zoo and at once, saw an array of animals, beasts and fairies.

The Urchin fairies were bopping one another upon the head and giving each other wedgies from the leaves they wore as clothing. They were known for being exceptionally ornery, however, they were also exceptionally beautiful. They had every typical hair color and every flawless style. One of the most dazzling fairies they saw had long scarlet hair that fell to her knees in waves.

The next fairies they saw were Irene fairies. The Irene fairies came in four different colors: red, orange, blue and yellow. These fairies were peaceful and were in charge of working together to create the weather. The red fairies helped create summer; the orange, fall; the blue, winter; and the yellow fairies were spring. The Irenes were sitting around braiding each other's hair into intricate designs and talking animatedly about the weather.

The last fairies that they came across were the Peri fairies. These fairies were especially flirtatious and took a special liking to King Samuel because of his tall stature and dark features. Samuel was not used to having fairy admirers, so he blushed shyly and Georgiana covered her mouth as she giggled.

In another cage there were two black, ugly birds that looked awfully similar to crows. They realized suddenly that they were not crows when one of the birds called the other bird a, "smelly, foot face".

"Ah," Samuel said. "These are mulks".

Georgiana remembered back to her schooling. Mulks were funny birds that had a bad sense of humor. They had a rude intuition that allowed them to know what people were intensely insecure about, and then they would tease them mercilessly for it. Georgiana quickly steered Samuel away from those.

They saw white, baby storks that had tiny, bright orange feet and beaks. When the little storks were older they would be strong enough to deliver babies to humans who were unable to have babies themselves.

There was an infant zaratan in a giant tank of water that looked so much like a tiny island anyone would have been fooled. On a note outside of his tank it described him, "Zaratan: An aquatic animal whom lays in large bodies of water. Zaratans appear to be islands so humans periodically try to camp on them. However, once they light a fire for warmth the zaratan will go under water to rid of the flame upon his back, oftentimes resulting with a loss of the people as well".

As they kept walking, they reached the very corner of the zoo where they saw a few ponies standing in a huddle. One of the ponies was the color of midnight, another a light brown, and the last was bone white with a dark grey mane. Georgiana felt a jolt in her stomach the second she saw the white horse.

"That is the horse, Sam. She is the pet guardian we have been searching for."

"She?" he asked.

Georgiana nodded.

Samuel had a great deal of faith in his wife, so he didn't question why she knew the gender of the horse from feet away or how she knew _that_ was the one, but he believed her anyway.

Georgiana pulled a cube of sugar out of her pocket, which she had been keeping close by since their recent pet search, and the pony blithely indulged. Samuel went to find the zoo owner to ask if he could purchase the glorious animal.

The zoo owner was named Al. "Short for Alfred," he said.

He conspicuously had a Patras accent. Al was a lanky man. His shaggy, flaxen hair spewed out the sides of his farm hat. And his brown pants were spotted with dirt, and fairy handprints. He looked happier than anyone had ever been.

Samuel began, "Al, we have searched almost every town but have yet to find a horse as fine as this one. Please let us buy it. If you do it will be the prince of Pulcherbridge's pet guardian".

"You aren't the first to ask about buying this pony. Quite an attraction, she is. I suspect that she is part unicorn or somethin'. The problem is, I don't mind sellin' her but she really brings the crowd in. I would have to charge ya' a lot so I could replace her."

Samuel could see that Al was a fair man. One could tell this easily; by the way he took benign care of the animals and cheered his guests. He had absolutely no intentions of haggling the king.

"I will be sure to spread the word of this great zoo you have, Al. Thanks again".

Al started to reply, but was halted when he noticed that in the cage to his right a dragon was becoming dangerously combative. It was jet-black, and breathing un-extinguishable fire all over the cage it was in and almost to the cages next to him.

There was a huge variety of animals in the zoo, but once they bought the pony they were so impatient to get home they hardly noticed.

#

The Queen and King had decided that it was important for Dean to know and understand the people he would one day rule, so they enrolled him into the public School of Pulcherbridge, that all of the ladies and gentlemen began at the tender age of four. And before he ventured to school, Dean's nanny was to be an affectionate, young woman who had one young child of her own. Georgiana and Samuel were surprised at how comfortably they had come to decisions about their beloved son.

Georgiana glowed with pregnancy. Her long, blonde hair was shinier than ever before, her cheeks and lips gave off a precious shade of cherry and her motherly figure was so flattering and contrasting to her typically slim frame.

Men swooned over her beauty and the women were breath taken. Samuel was so proud of his wife. Seeing his son grow within her made his love swell. They became iconic and people whom they had always known were suddenly star-struck when the King and Queen were present.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Chapter of Tears and Switches (3)**

It was a sunny morning in the early winter. Chilly, but comfortable if the queen put a sweater over the top of her dress. Georgiana hated being cooped up within the castle on such a splendid day, so she had the servant send a note to her best friend, Cecily, asking if she would want to go on a walk.

An hour later, her servant returned, informing Georgiana that Cecily would like to meet her in front of the bakery.

Cecily was an exemplary friend to Georgiana. She suggested going to the bakery because she knew that since her pregnancy she had grown a particular liking to blueberry scones and chilled tea, things in which before she was with child, she wasn't so fond of.

Georgiana met Cecily in front of the bakery where the stout baker, Caspar, had seemed to be expecting them. "Ah, what a pleasure it is to have two of the prettiest ladies happen about my modest bakery".

"Oh, Caspar! You know I couldn't walk past your shop without coming in! Your treats are such a delight. The scent nearly grabs me by the hand and pulls me in here!" Queen Georgiana complimented.

The baker blushed, led them to a powder blue table with a pair of quaint chairs and poured them iced water. They barely glanced at the menu, quickly giving their orders and then Caspar made his way to the counter to get working.

Cecily was a designer of clothing, houses, and basically anything that could possibly be designed. Her work was so beautiful that queens and kings from other towns often visited to have things created by her. She also had been helping compose some of Dean's baby clothes. But mostly she was Georgiana's best friend and confidant. If Georgiana had any secrets to spill, Cecily is whom she disclosed them to.

"So," Cecily began, "guess who I just got an order for a baby basket from?"

Georgiana laughed, "My mother? I tell you, that woman has at least ordered ten baby baskets! That isn't even including the baskets she has attempted to make herself!"

"Nope. Mr. Ivan Livindl".

Georgiana gasped. "Oh nonsense! You know my brother-in-law wouldn't dare send a baby basket to Sam and me. We rarely even speak! It must be for someone else".

"Well, to tell you my dearest thoughts, Georgie, the basket was dreadfully simple, white wood with a blue silk ribbon. It must be for you!"

The ladies laughed together again. It was no secret that King Samuel didn't get along with his brother, Ivan.

Right when the two women were about to dredge irretrievably into conversation, Caspar appeared with their food.

They thanked him, paid, and then left the bakery to eat as they strolled luxuriously outside.

They were just getting around to how Cecily's oldest son, Nathan, would be starting school the coming term when Georgiana felt a rush of water between her legs.

She looked at Cecily with wide eyes. Cecily, already having a child, knew exactly what had just happened.

"It's happening! Dean's coming!"

Cecily called for a cart to push Georgiana to Pepe and kissed her on the cheek as the fumbling boys buckled her in and were about to leave for the apothecary.

"You will be fine Georgiana! I can hardly wait to meet him!" Georgiana waved while a unique combination of fear and excitement coloring her face.

#

The men rushed so that Georgiana arrived at the apothecary's quickly. It was a tiny wooden house with two windows, a strong straw roof, and there was a large, overflowing herb garden that wrapped around the entire place.

The gentlemen were gingerly helping Georgiana onto the birthing table when Pepe descended the stairs, evidently startled at their sudden appearance.

He looked extremely tired and haggard. His measly pieces of hair were greasy, his clothes did not match and he had dark circles under his eyes, making it appear as though he hadn't slept in ages.

Luckily, the woman who had assisted Pepe the last time was there and she instantly took charge. First, she thanked the men for bringing Georgiana and asked them to alert Samuel and her mother of the coming baby, hurrying them out the door. Then, she retrieved a cool rag and placed it upon Georgiana's forehead and smoothed back her hair to comfort her.

The assistant, whose name was Dinah, had seen many births and knew that even the easiest ones were far from painless.

Pepe finally came out of his haze and began to help. He got all of his delivery tools in order and was giving Dinah directions. Even though Dinah knew what she needed to do he told her anyway to distract himself from his recent panic attack. Once everything was in order, they began to await the arrival of Dean.

#

After twelve and a half hours of pain and pushing, Georgiana heard a crying baby from the bottom of her bed.

Dinah never left her side, squeezing her hand and muttering her assurances throughout her entire delivery. Georgiana would be forever thankful to this woman, for she had been so gentle and caring during the most important time of her life.

"No! No, no, no, no, no! It cannot be. Queen, you must wait," Pepe squealed.

Georgiana was so sleepy she hardly knew what he was saying. She barely managed to ask, "What?"

Pepe wrapped the baby completely in a small blanket and was holding him tightly. All that Georgiana could see of her baby boy was his tiny little toes peeking out of the blanket. Fury boiled every surface of her skin. She had waited much too long to have anything delay her from meeting Dean.

Pepe whispered something to Dinah and she started crying.

"As your queen, I order you to tell me what is going on!" Georgiana yelled as loudly as she could manage. Really, it was hardly louder than a regular speaking voice, but still, Pepe looked frightened.

Dinah was grinding up herbs and boiling water as the apothecary scurried into the bad news.

"Queen Georgiana, your baby isn't well. It is a very rare condition that is extremely contagious and can be fatal. I can allow you to hold him, but only for a moment. We must rush into surgery immediately. If you are in contact with him too long, you could feasibly become infected as well. I might be able to save him, but we cannot risk losing you. You are the queen. Imagine the town without a noble queen as yourself. And Samuel. My dear, you must think of Samuel".

Georgiana spoke through clenched teeth as Dinah applied the herbs to her forehead and under her eyes.

"Well, at least let me sit in the room as you do the surgery. It is my first child! You cannot expect me to leave him when I have only just met him!"

Pepe was green and starting to sway, which admittedly didn't help Georgiana's uncertainty.

"Ma'am, perhaps we do save him, but lose you. He will be without a mother".

Silent tears ran down her cheeks and she shut her eyes. The herbs were working and she knew, as much as she loathed it, that Pepe was right. And regrettably, she started to drift into a deep sleep so Dinah could mend her birthing injuries.

Georgiana barely got out her last words as she floated out of consciousness.

"Sam. I at least need Sam".

Pepe nodded. "Very well, I will send for him to come in. Dinah, allow him and only him in while you are working. Explain the misfortune that has been placed upon them and under no circumstances should anyone bother me. This baby's life depends on it". And then he disappeared, bundle in arms.

#

Of course by that time, the entire town had heard of Georgiana's going into labor. Bets were in motion on the amount of hair the baby would be born with, how much it would weigh, and who it would resemble most closely. An especially high gamble was placed on whether Dean would acquire the King's rounded nose, or the Queen's pointed one.

Georgiana's mother and Cecily were at the castle completing the birth party. The castle's dining hall was covered in daises and baby's breath. Wooden tables were brought out that would seat three hundred people each. A feast was being prepared of chicken, dumplings and a vanilla iced cream. The plates were all a robin's egg blue and the cups had blue ribbon tied around them. In the center of every two chairs that faced each other was a different, beautiful basket designed by Cecily. They were filled with cloths to wipe hands and tiny glass containers that released sparkling bubbles when opened.

Dean's pet guardian, whom had been named, Bia, would be present at the party wearing a giant aqua bow around her neck.

The parade would start at the very edge of the town that bordered the sea. Then it would go on through the woods, over a small creaky bridge that would be covered in flowers and insects that shone like fire, and into town, straight to the castle.

After the parade, every person in the town was to enter the ballroom for a formal dinner and dance. It was to be the most wonderful night anyone could possibly imagine.

#

Fourteen hours had passed since Georgiana felt the rush of water between her legs in the village. Dinah had mended her wounds, cleaned her body and changed the blankets and pillows on the bed so she would be comfortable while sleeping.

King Samuel sat by Georgiana's bedside ever since Dinah had let him in and told him of the bad news. He reacted like a caring father, husband and king would. He cried. For Dean's precious life, his wife's stress and hurt, the town of Pulcherbridge possibly losing a baby who could have grown into a great king, and than lastly for himself.

Then, he stopped crying and just sat over Georgiana watching her sleep, rubbing her cheeks and hair. He knew he must be brave for her.

When he heard a light rap on the door, he knew that it was Pepe. Recently, Dinah had left Samuel with hot tea, bedding, and some warm bread and told him that she would not return until morning. If he heard anyone before then, he was to expect that it was Pepe.

Knowing it was he at the door, he reluctantly woke Georgiana. She was groggy and her eyes were puffed. It crushed his heart to see her look so broken when she always looked lively, even in the early morning. But when she looked up at him she gave him a weak smile. She was trying to be strong, to have hope. And that made his heart burn. How he wished that he had his wife's courage.

He motioned to the door and Georgiana nodded. Samuel said, "Come in".

Pepe walked in the door with a terrible countenance. His head was drooped, his clothes stretched, his hair crazy. The message he had come to deliver was clear before he said it.

Georgiana began sobbing. Her worst fears had been confirmed. Samuel had silent tears running down his face, but kept a firm hand on Georgiana's and stared at Pepe, waiting for an official answer.

He announced, "I did everything that I could. He had a sickness that I have only seen twice in all my years. I am so sorry for your loss King Livindl. The women I knew that experienced this atrocity were not doomed more than once so don't lose hope. You can always try again."

His words meant very little to the mourning couple at that moment. And that was clear, so Pepe left them to comfort each other.

Samuel crawled onto the small bed with Georgiana and held her while she wept. They had never expected this to happen to them, they had done everything right. The queen hadn't drank strong alcohol or been outside in too harsh of weather.

She remembered the dream she had the night she found out the sex of her child and realized that it was not a dream, but a warning. She put her hands on her stomach, and felt a staggering amount of nothingness.

#

Several hours later, Georgiana and Samuel remained in the house, holding hands and trying to deal with their misery. Samuel daydreamed of the son he could have had, who enjoyed sports and was polite to his mother.

Georgiana just daydreamed of the couple seconds she had seen the baby's tiny toes, remembering every little detail of them.

When abruptly, they heard a crying baby.

They were brought out of their daydreams at once, and found each other's eyes. The things they were wondering were incredibly similar. How could they both be hearing a baby? Dean was gone. They wondered if they had gone mad but didn't say a word. The King and Queen were having strange, impossible hopes, and to say them out loud would be to spoil them.

They had all but dismissed it to their grieving imagination and had settled back into closing their eyes and trying to sleep through the hurt; but then they heard it again. As they listened closely they noticed the noise was coming from the back door.

"Sam, I can't get up. Will you go see what that is?"

He replied that of course he would.

Samuel got up and walked to the door. He slowly opened the heavy, wooden exit and when he saw what was sitting there his thoughts were confirmed. Yes, I have completely lost it, he supposed.

In a huge white basket, was a crying baby wrapped in a green, thick blanket. He blinked, pinched himself and then realized he was not crazy after all.

Samuel and Georgiana had received a stork baby.

Samuel's heart stopped as he stared at it. The baby had dewy brown eyes, pink cheeks and an endearing cry. He picked up the basket, brought it into the home and closed the door behind him.

Georgiana gaped, "Is that- is that a stork baby?"

Samuel swallowed and nodded. "It is. I don't know how we got one. People often wait months for a stork baby and here we are, just hours and we have one."

"I want to hold him, Sam," Georgiana murmured.

Samuel picked up the newborn gently, and handed him to Georgiana. She hugged him softly and felt the tug of his presence.

"I love him. Already, I love him. I don't care that he isn't Dean. He is ours; he was brought to us unusually fast. And when I am holding him I feel warm. I need him".

It had all happened so fast. The loss of Dean, the arrival of the stork baby, but Samuel understood and he nodded. This was their baby now.

The three of them fit on the bed together just right. They needed each other, all three of them.

When Samuel looked at the baby's face, he felt as though a million butterflies had taken flight all over in his tummy. The toothless smile had captured his heart.

"They don't have to know, Sam," she said. "That this isn't Dean. We could say that he is. Raise him as our fist born, the one which will someday become king. Then everything could go on normally, the parade, the ball. It's just; I don't think I have it in me to ever try for a baby again. I am too afraid. We already love him and he loves us. I can feel it. And he is here, now. The storks are smart Sam. This is happening for a reason."

Samuel had already been imagining this boy to be his son and it felt right.

"So, this is Dean then?" Samuel asked.

Georgian stroked the baby's head, cheeks and nose and said, "This is Dean."


End file.
